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Inauguration Journal: Scattered Thoughts Over Four Days of History

Sojomail - January 22, 2009

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

- Civil rights veteran Rev. Joseph Lowery, in his benediction to close the inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama. (Source: God's Politics)

It’s a better country than I thought it was. I honestly wouldn’t have thought this possible. I guess I would have agreed with the older generation of African Americans in my neighborhood: This day would never come in our lifetimes—but here it is.

For four decades, I’ve been fighting against all the bad stuff in America—the poverty, the racism, the human rights violations, and always the wars. At a deeper level, the arrogance, self-righteousness, materialism, and ignorance of the rest of the world, the habitual ignoring of the ones that God says we can’t, the ones Jesus calls the least of these.

From the time I got kicked out of my little white evangelical church as a young teenager, and plunged into the student movements of my generation, the issue that drove me was racism. Now the son of an African immigrant and a Kansas white woman has become president. I keep pinching myself.

And he talks differently—about almost everything.

I’ve known him for a decade, but I watched him grow as a leader all through this campaign, and now each day. I have never met a more self-disciplined political leader, with one exception—Nelson Mandela. And Mandela had the advantage of 27 years of spiritual formation in a South African prison.

I am used to White Houses who want to arrest me—22 times over 40 years. This White House wants our advice. Leaders from the faith community have been virtually inhabiting the offices of the Transition Team over the last weeks, with our advice being sought on global and domestic poverty, human rights, criminal justice, torture, faith-based offices, foreign policy, Gaza and the Middle East. A staffer joked one day, “We should have just gotten all of you bunks here.”

I took my two boys to the Opening Ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial, which I thought was just going to be “a concert.” But it turned out to be a wonderfully musical civic lesson about the best of America, the history that has been a shining light to the world at our best, and one that has attracted the most diverse population on the earth. I watched my boys watch and listen, and even felt proud of my country for the first time in a very long time. Bono and Springsteen weren’t bad either, and Tom Hanks’ reading of Lincoln might have been the high point for me. Everybody was very happy and even hopeful.

Then on this year’s celebration of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., one day before the inauguration of the nation’s first black president, one could almost feel the warmth of Martin’s smile. The freedom fighters of the civil rights movement who are still with us, like Congressman John Lewis, said that while the election of Barack Obama wasn’t the fulfillment of King’s dream, it was, nonetheless, a hefty down payment.

Joy and I were blessed to attend the private prayer service for the new president that began inauguration day for Barack and Michelle Obama. Then there was the swearing in, which was almost unbelievable as the world watched. And then the speech. The more I listen to it, the better it gets. Here was a leader who wanted us to face how serious our situation really is. What some have called the “fake optimism” that often attends such inaugurals wasn’t there, but rather a serous invitation to make the hard choice of hope, which has always been the strength of this nation when facing the most difficult times. And here was a leader who said this wasn’t really about him, but about us, and what we would decide to do together. He called for a “new era of responsibility.” And bridging the polarized left/right debates of the decades, it was clear that he meant both personal and social responsibility.

That the national security strategy of Donald Rumsfeld will now be replaced by the wisdom of the prophet Micah—that our security depends upon other people’s security.

That the secret governance and detention centers of Dick Cheney will now be replaced by the rule of law and the renunciation of torture as not American after all.

That the money changers of the temples of Wall Street will be replaced with the call of the prophet Nehemiah to rebuild the broken walls and establish the common good.

And American “manifest destiny” will be replaced by a new relationship to the world, more characterized by “humility” (he actually said the word) and leading by American example more than by American domination.

In concert with and in challenge to the new president, Joseph Lowery prayed:

Help us then, now , Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and no one shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

The opportunity that has always been the American promise must now be extended to all, including those at the bottom of the economy, said the new president, who also pledged that the poor of the world would not be abandoned anymore.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

He also gave a stern warning to the country about the results of misplaced policies and priorities.

This crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

Obama sometimes did sound like the prophet Nehemiah, who after he carefully surveyed the broken walls of the temple, called the people together to start the rebuilding and to “commit themselves to the common good.”

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

Afterwards, as we were leaving the Capitol, my son Luke whispered in my ear, “Yes, we did.”

Simply put, these last few days were a moment of answered prayers for me—the prayers of decades.

Participating in the Presidential Prayer Service at the National Cathedral was a fitting end to the week’s inaugural events. Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus stood to pray for the president as the first family sat just a few feet away.

It was acknowledged that it was time now for the new president to go to work. And so should the religious community. Our job now is to offer prayers and support for the new president, as we did in the Cathedral yesterday. But it will also be our job, our prophetic religious responsibility in fact, to offer challenge when necessary, as it certainly will be for this president like all presidents before him. But I think this president has the capacity to understand that challenge can be the deepest form of support.

God's Inaugural Spokespersons by Arthur WaskowI thought God -- the real God, the One Who cares passionately about justice, peace, and diversity -- came out rather well in the Inaugural ceremonies. God's official spokespersons did better than I had expected. Rev. Rick Warren -- whose choice I had strongly criticized because of his views about gay and lesbian sexuality -- did far better than I had feared. + Click to continue

An Inauguration Pilgrimage: Dreams From My Mother by Lisa Sharon HarperMy mother was 14 years old when King marched on the Mall. She asked her mother if she could go, but the answer was "No." So, she watched the events on network TV with the rest of the country. King's speech and the county's struggles for justice made an indelible mark on my mother. Only a few years after the speech she became a founding member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Mom was a community organizer when our nation was unraveling. + Click to continue

Inaugural Week Meditation: So Happy by Brian McLarenI remember being a boy traveling through the south and seeing Jim Crow signs, being part of a church in the 1960s that would "politely" direct non-whites to another church down the road, listening as a Sunday School teacher explained "the curse of Ham" and what it meant for our lives, hearing respected adults – all committed churchgoers – use the "N" word and other epithets without any hesitation, hearing a beloved relative call Dr. King a "communist" and a "devil." To think that in our lifetime, millions of white voters joined with African Americans, Latinos, and others to elect Barack Obama -- I'm so happy. + Click to continue

Bishop Robinson's Lost Prayer at the Inaugural Kick-off by Cathleen FalsaniThe "We Are One" concert was fabulous, but as the live broadcast drew to a close, with Barack and Michelle Obama making their way across the stage, stopping to thank each of the celebrities that had participated in the event, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. It wasn't until I flipped to continued coverage of the event on CNN and spotted the bespectacled man with a clerical collar standing a few people away from Bono in the star-studded receiving line that I realized what it was: Bishop V. Gene Robinson. + Click to continue

What Kind of Love Can Really Change the World? by Joan BissetCan we keep proclaiming "We are one?" Bono went on to say: "This is not just an American dream, but also an Irish dream, a European dream, an African dream ... an Israeli dream and a Palestinian dream." What defines the kind of love that can change the world is not just gushy or sentimental, but rather the kind of love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13. + Click to continue

Changing the Image of Religion: The New Faith Coalition by Jim WallisA new generation of believers and trailblazing religious leaders are making sure that the agenda of the faith community is broader and deeper than it has been for several decades. Like the religious leaders for the inauguration, we don't all agree, but we have found a place where we can stand together. This past election provided a picture of what some of this shift will look like, especially within the Christian community. + Click to continue

Police Violence Undercuts Pundits' 'Post-Racial' Rhetoric by Jimmy McCartyWhile I agree Senator Obama's election was powerfully symbolic, changed the game in many ways, and created new dreams for a generation of children, I knew we must be careful about such statements. We must recognize that most of the "post-racial" rhetoric has come from white commentators who dream of a color blind society. Most ethnic minorities don't want to be "colorless." They simply want to be treated as equal no matter their color, even embraced as equal in their race or ethnicity. + Click to continue

Look Who's Praying at the Inauguration by Cathleen FalsaniThe first openly gay Episcopal bishop. The first female president of the Disciples of Christ. The president of the Islamic Society of North America (who also happens to be a woman). Three rabbis. Bono. And one Hawaiian shirt-wearing mega-church pastor. What do they have in common, besides taking part in the official festivities surrounding Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States? They're all praying. + Click to continue

Arriving in Gaza by Leonard RodgersAfter some strenuous convincing of border guards, we crossed from Egypt into the zone between Egypt and Gaza. Spotter aircraft (pilotless drones) were flying overhead as we arrived. Soon after the spotter planes had done their aerial "research," American F16 fighter aircraft, flown by Israelis, arrived dropping their 500-pound laser-guided bombs. + Click to continue

Video: My Son Met Barack Obama at Ben's Chili Bowl by Aaron GrahamI think meeting Obama will be particularly special for our son Elijah, who my wife Amy and I just adopted in August. As the adoptive father of an African-American boy, it was special for me to have him born the same year that the U.S. elected its first African-American president. This gave me great encouragement to know that Elijah will grow up in a country where he knows he can do or be anything he is called to be. + Click to continue

Your Ballots at Work: 'Waterboarding is Torture' by Ryan Rodrick BeilerBarack Obama is not the Messiah, but he is going to close Guantanamo Bay prison. I completely respect all of the protests and symbolic witnesses against torture and Gitmo. But I would assert that none of them would ever -- ever -- have any affect, except on the conscience of those participating. That's why I got arrested in front of the White House in 2003. I knew it wouldn't stop the war, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do something extreme to protest it. But you had better believe that I cast a vote the following year -- and it wasn't to write-in "Jesus" because he's the real Prince of Peace. + Click to continue

Natural Disaster or Natural Opportunity? by Leroy BarberThis week, for the second time in a few years, I found myself walking the streets of a city talking to pastors and people about how Mission Year could help them recover from a devastating storm. Hurricane Ike was the fourth-largest storm in history, so this week it is Texas -- the Houston and Galveston areas. + Click to continue

Israeli-Occupied Territory on Capitol Hill by Nate Van DuzerAny step in the direction of unqualified support for a lasting peace is worth celebrating, but Congress still has a long way to go in this regard. For the most part, the House resolution supports the view that the current conflict is a justified Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip against an evil Hamas. This sentiment is difficult to criticize, as Hamas does deserve much of the blame for this disaster. But the language of the House resolution ignores the nuances and layered history of the conflict. + Click to continue

Each of us will look different, sound different and hold different beliefs, but each of us will humbly offer words of hope and blessing for our country and its leaders. No matter all of the differences that the religious leaders assembled might have with one another, there is a common ground that has brought us all together. This common ground is the common good — for our country and our world.+Click to continue

Melody Barnes, Obama's top domestic policy aide—sat down with the presidents of Christian Churches Together to discuss tackling domestic poverty. One attendee calls CCT "a little-known, powerhouse group of key Christian leaders, both progressive and conservative." The coalition includes evangelical progressive Jim Wallis and Catholic Archbishop Wilton Gregory.+Click to continue

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